Father -
He was called "Tateh"which means father in Yiddish. His name was Fishel Shilsky, a Russian Orthodox Jew, who married mameh "mother" in an arranged marriage. Throughout this marriage, Tateh never shows any love towards mameh who takes care of the house and of him in the correct way for a Jewish housewife. The couple emigrated to America, where Tateh worked as a traveling Orthodox rabbi. He forced the family to settle in Suffolk, where he opened a grocery store and treated his family very poorly. Ruth's father is a very racist,"If there was one thing Tateh didn't like more than gentiles,it was black folks",pg 107. He was also very distrustful toward everyone.Tateh was an incredibly difficult person, he was demanding, harsh, unloving, and greedy. Towards his son, Sam, he never showed any sort of love and was the reason for Sam leaving the family to join the military. He sexually abused his daughter Ruth. He finalized his separation from Ruth when he told her never to return home if she married a black man. This resulted in her being seen as dead by her family when she did marry a black man.
Mameh
A Polish Orthodox Jew crippled by polio as a child, Mameh (or Hudis Shilsky), was a gentle and good Jewish wife. She bore her husband, Fishel, one son and two daughters, and never learned to speak English, even though she lived in America for many years. Mameh passed away shortly after Ruth (or Rachel) left for New York. She was soft-spoken and meek, she deferred to Ruth's father in virtually all matters. While she came from a well-to-do background, her family had little to do with her because of her handicap. Ruth felt that her mother was good to her, and suffered a lifelong sense of guilt for not taking better care of Mameh. After Ruth leaves to marry a black man both Mameh and Tateh see her as dead because of the shame it brings to the family.
Father -
He was called "Tateh"which means father in Yiddish. His name was Fishel Shilsky, a Russian Orthodox Jew, who married mameh "mother" in an arranged marriage. Throughout this marriage, Tateh never shows any love towards mameh who takes care of the house and of him in the correct way for a Jewish housewife. The couple emigrated to America, where Tateh worked as a traveling Orthodox rabbi. He forced the family to settle in Suffolk, where he opened a grocery store and treated his family very poorly. Ruth's father is a very racist,"If there was one thing Tateh didn't like more than gentiles,it was black folks",pg 107. He was also very distrustful toward everyone.Tateh was an incredibly difficult person, he was demanding, harsh, unloving, and greedy. Towards his son, Sam, he never showed any sort of love and was the reason for Sam leaving the family to join the military. He sexually abused his daughter Ruth. He finalized his separation from Ruth when he told her never to return home if she married a black man. This resulted in her being seen as dead by her family when she did marry a black man.
Mameh
A Polish Orthodox Jew crippled by polio as a child, Mameh (or Hudis Shilsky), was a gentle and good Jewish wife. She bore her husband, Fishel, one son and two daughters, and never learned to speak English, even though she lived in America for many years. Mameh passed away shortly after Ruth (or Rachel) left for New York. She was soft-spoken and meek, she deferred to Ruth's father in virtually all matters. While she came from a well-to-do background, her family had little to do with her because of her handicap. Ruth felt that her mother was good to her, and suffered a lifelong sense of guilt for not taking better care of Mameh. After Ruth leaves to marry a black man both Mameh and Tateh see her as dead because of the shame it brings to the family.